Can making machine



F. KRUEGE R CAN MAKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1939 April 27, 1943.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANK KI P EGER ATTORNEY.

April 27, 1943. F. KRUEGER 2,317,919

CAN MAKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.4

IN VENT OR. FRANK KRUEGER ATTORNEY.

April 27,1943. -F. KRUEGER 2,317,919

CAN MAKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FRANK KR'UEGER ATTORNEY.

INVENT OR.

April 27, 1943. F. KRUEGER 2,317,919

CAN MAKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1939 5. Sheets-Sheet 5 m INVENTOR.

FRA NK Mum.

if JMWMZ ATTORN S.

Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED srATEsf P TENT'f,1 oFFic-s Y r csi vuszi x zmcmnn I Q Frankkrneger, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignortoE. W.

Bliss Company, Brooklyn,

' of Delaware N. 1., a corporation Application June 29, 1989,' Serial No. 281,910

7 Claims. (01. 113-1) This invention re ates to can body making machines and is particularly adapted to machines in which the blanks are flexed before they are fed into the body maker.

The sheet material, usually tin plate from which can bodies are made, possesses a resiliency and resistance to bending which should preferably be removed before the ends of the can are placed on the body. For this reason a body maker normally includes a flexing station where the sheet is sharply bent to break the grain and remove its resiliency. This has heretofore been a separate operation, and was effected either before or after the blank was made into a can body.

In. modern high speed can machinery, it is desirable to operate the body maker as fast as possible and to provide flexed sheets to be fed into the body maker in sufllcient quantity to provide a continuous supply. This should be accomplished without the necessity of a workman constantly replenishing the magazine from which the blanks are fed to the body maker.

Furthermore, such flexing mechanism should operate at a sumciently high speed to flex blanks more rapidly than they are used by the body maker to thus insure a continuous supply of flexed blanks to the body maker.

The general object of my invention therefore has been to provide a unit to be placed ahead of the body forming mechanism to automatically supply properly flexed blanks thereto. Still another object of my invention has been to provide a pair of magazines with a flexing device interposed therebetween in which the blanks are fed from on magazine, hereinafter referred to as the flexing magazine, through the flexing device to a second magazine, hereinafter referred to as the body maker magazine which, in turn, supplies the flexed blanks to the body maker. An additional object of myinvention has been to provide a flexing device of improved construction which will operate faster and more-efliciently than similar machines heretofore used. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification when read in the light of the The blanks are automatically fed from the second or body making magazine into the body maker.

The various mechanisms are 'so timed and interconnected that blanks are fed faster from the first or flexing magazine into the flexing rolls and thence to the body maker magazine than such blanks are withdrawn from thebody maker magazine and passed into the body maker. A control mechanism is associated with the body maker magazine to render the flexing device and its associated parts inactive upon attainment of a predetermined height of flexed blanks in the body maker magazine. As the supply of blanks in the body maker magazine diminishes, the control mechanism permits the flexing device to supply more blanks to the said magazine until the level of the flexed blanks in'said magazine is again restored.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a composite diagrammatic section thereofwith various portions of the structure cut away, the section being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical detail of the flexing device control operated .by the height of the stack of flexed blanks in the body maker magazine: Fig. 4 is an and elevation of theflexing device as viewed from the rightin Fig.- 2;

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary sections through Fig. l, as indicated by the corresponding lines thereon; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section through Fig. 2 as indicated by the line li -ll thereon;

Referring particularly to Fig. 1,: my invention is incorporated with-a conventional body maker as indicated thereon and not further discussed. since its features are well known in the art.

A body maker magazine.- indicated generally at I0, is employed to supply flexed blanks to the body maker and comprises a pair of side plates accompanying drawings, and the novel features Y c are summarized in the claims.

i2 and I4 and end plates l5 and It. The size of the body maker magazine is adjustable to allow its use with flexed blanks of different sizes. Blanks are fed one. at a time from the bottom of this magazine in in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) into the notching and edging mechanism and thence to the body maker or former. The feeding of the flexed blanks is accomplished by the feed fingers of a conventional body maker, not shown. c

The blank may be first notched at the station indicated at 20 and may be then edged at the device into a second or body making magazine. station 22, passing from this station into a wing- ,form body maker. It will be apparent that different kinds of body makers may be employed with the present invention, the type Just described being specified only for convenience of illustration. A bed 23 supports the body maker parts and the body maker magazine I3. Bolted above and to the bed 25 at 21 is a frame 33 which supports the parts of the flexing machine and ties it as a cooperating unit to the parts on the bed 25.

A flexing magazine is carried by the frame 33, from which blanks are withdrawn downwardly and fed to the flexing rolls and then into the body maker magazine I3 through an opening in the side plate I4. This flexing magazine comprises three side wall memers 32, 33 and 34. These parts in turn are adiustably bolted in ways 35 on the upper surface of the frame 33, and the member 32 is adjustable transversely of said ways by reason of the slot 3'! and a conventional clamping bolt 31'. Each of the side members is provided at the bottom with circular wedge shaped discs 38, which discs are hardened to resist wear and serve to support the stack of blanks in the magazine. The discs are removably retained by bolts 39. It will be apparent that by adjusting the side wall members 32, 33 and 34, the size of the flexing magazine may be varied to accommodate blanks of varying sizes.

A pair of pneumatic suckers below the flexing magazine withdraw one blank at a time from the bottom of the stack of blanks. in said magazine. These suckers, indicated at 43, are adjustably bolted at 42 in a transverse slot 43 and a longitudinal slot 44. A frame member 45 is bolted at 41 to the top of a column 48 (see Fig. 2). This column 43 is slidably carried in a boss 48 formed on the frame "and is alternately raised and lowered to move the successive, lowermost sheets from the stack in the flexing magazine. A pin 53 carried by the frame member 45, is slidably guided in a boss 52 formed on the frame 33. and cooperates with the column 43 to maintain the member 45 in position.

The suckers 43 and other movable parts of the apparatus of my invention are driven from an electric motor 52 bolted at 54 to the underside of the bed 25. A chain drive 55 from the motor 52 to a gear 5'! drives a shaft 33 journaled transversely of the direction of feed of the blanks from the flexing magazine to the flexing rolls. A sucker cam 32 is keyed to the shaft 33 to be rotated therewith, and imparts movement to a rock arm 33 pivoted intermediate its ends at 34 to the machine frame 33. The other end of the rock arm 33 carries a roller 35 engaging with the column 43. Thus, as the motor 52 rotates the shaft 33, the cam 32 raises and lowers the column 43 and moves the suckers 43 into and out of engagement with the lowermost blank of the stack in the fleidng magazine.

A vacuum is created at the suckers 43 as they are reciprocatedto positively withdraw the engaged, lowermost blank from the base of the flexing magazine. To this end, a suction pump comprising a cylinder 13, bolted at II to the machine frame 33, is provided.- A piston 13 reciprocates within the cylinder and, through a, fitting 14 and suitable piping s2, actuates the suckers 43. The piston 13 is driven by a connecting rod I5, pinned at 13 to the piston and having an eccentric collar portion enaging an eccentric 33 keyed on the shaft 33 and adapted to rotate therewith. Thus, on rotation of the shaft 33, the piston 13 is reciprocated within the cylinder I3.

\ Valve mechanism, the details of which are-best shown in Fig. 9, controls the suction created in the suckers by the pump cylinder 13 and piston I3 just described. This valve mechanism comprises a valve casing 33 bolted at 33 to the machine frame 33 and provided with a vertical cylinder 31. Leading into the cylinder 31 is a port 33 which by suitable flexible conduit means, such as a hose, communicates with the suckers 43. The cylinder 31 also includes an intake port 3| opening to the atmosphere, and an exhaust port leading to piping 32. This piping 32, in turn, communicates with the fitting 14 and also with a one-way check valve 34 which permits passage of air out of the system to the atmosphere.

A valve piston 35 is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 31 and is provided with a portion of reduced diameter as indicated at 33 to permit communication between the ports in the cylinder when properly registered therewith.

. A spring 33 holds the valve piston downwardly movement with relation to each other.

against the follower of a rock arm I33. The rock arm I33 is pivoted intermediate its ends at I32 to the frame 33 and at its other end carries a follower which is engaged by a cam I35 on the shaft 33, to control the vertical reciprocation of the suckers, as will be hereafter described.

A blank feed slide 3 is mounted in ways I I2 on the machine frame 33, for reciprocating motion toward and from the flexing magazine, and acts to feed the blanks pulled down by the suckers 43 from the base of the flexing magazine into the flexing rolls. This slide includes a series of rib-like flngers II4 which are adjusta-bly bolted at 5 in corresponding slots of the slide II3. At their forward ends, the fingers H4 are provided with abutments II'I adapted to engage the rear edge of the blank which has been removed from the flexing magazine by the suckers 43 and push the same into the flexing rolls.

To drive the feed slide II3 a cam I23 is keyed to the shaft 33 for rotation therewith, and is engaged by a follower in the form of a bell crank I25 pivoted at I 21 to the machine-frame 33. A link I23 connects the other end of the bell crank the shaft 63 is rotated by motor 52.

From the description thus far, it will be apparent that the suckers 43, the suction pump and the feed slide II3 are all adapted for timed In the normal sequence of operations, the column 43 is first raised by the cam 32 and rock arm 33 to engage the two suckers 43. with the under face of the lowermost blank in the stack of blanks in the flexing magazine. The pump piston 13 will have been moved in the meantime to the right (Fig. 2) by the eccentric 33 and connecting rod I5, to establish a vacuum in the suction line 32. Consequently, upon upward movement of the valve piston 35, by cam I35 and rock arm I33 to permit communication between the port 33 and the pipe 32, the sheet will, by reason of the vacuum created in thesuckers 43, be drawn tightly against the soft cups at the tops of said suckers. Then, as the column 43 is lowered by the cam 32 and rock arm 33, the suckers 43 will move downwardly and the flexible blank which is lowermost in the flexing magazine and which is engaged by said suckers will be pulled out of the magazine past the discs 33 and will rest upon the forward ends of the fingers H4.

The rear edge of the blank which has thus been withdrawn from the flexing magazine is then engaged by the abutments II! on flngers I I4, which fingers and abutmentsare then moved .i'rom the left to the right as viewed in Fig. 2

by cam I28, bell crank I25, link us and slide II8, to push the blank into the flexing rolls. In the meantime, the suction created in the suckers 48 will have been released by movement of the valve piston 85 by cam I85, rock arm I88 and spring 88, to place the ports 88 and 3| in communication and the close ofl communication between port 88 and pipe 82. On the rewhich extend transversely of the direction of travel of the blanks from the flexing magazine. 7

The lowermost roll I36 is carried in fixed bearings, while the upper roll I35 is carried in bearings mounted for vertical sliding movement toward and from the fixed lower roll bearings. The bearings for the rolls I35 and I38 are of such size that upon movement of the rolls toward each other the bearings will contact before the rolls contact, thus keeping the rolls separated from each other at a distance of at least a few thousandths of an inch. In practice this distance is approximately .006 inch.

To normally urge the two rolls together, a pair of compression springs I38 are provided, which springs at one end bear against the top of the upper roll bearings and at their other ends, are restrained by hollow bolts I38 threadingly received in the cross-member I48 at the top of the flexing device.

The lower flexing roll is positively driven by a sprocket pinion I42 at its left-hand end, Fig. 4. This pinion is engaged by chain I44 which in turn is driven from a sprocket I45 keyed to the shaft 68 for rotation therewith. The upper roll I35 is positively driven from the lower roll I36 by a gear drive I46 comprising a pinion on each roll, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 4.

A deflector blade I41 and a stripping and a leveling blade I48 are each adjustablybolted to sleeves I31 and I31 respectively, which sleeves loosely encircle the rolls I35 and I36 respecthe amount of flexing imparted to the blanks, and the blade I48 acts after the blank leaves the rolls I35 and I36 to control the amount to which the blank is again straightened. As a blank is fed to the rolls I35 and I36 from the left; Fig. 5, it is deflected down against the lower roll I36 by the deflector blade I41 and then passes upwardly between the bite of the two rolls I35 and I36. As it passes on through about the axis of said cooperating roll. The

upper blade I41 and its supp rting sleeve I31 nest in a partial cylindrical recess in the top crossmember I48. The sleeve I31 is held in the recess by two bolts I II, which threadingly engage the sleeve and are suspended from a washer I52 with a curved outer face corresponding to the curve of the recess in the cross member I48 which receives said sleeve. Thus, as the bolts I88 are loosened and shifted along the direction of travel 01' a blank, there will be a corresponding repositioning of the blade I41 by reason of the movement of the supporting sleeve I31 thereof. After the desired position has been attained, the bolts I58 are again tightened and the blade is thus maintained in its adjusted position.

The blade I48 and its lower supporting sleeve 131 are carried in a partially cylindrical recess of the machine frame 38. Two pairs of bolts I54 pass through the top cross member I48 and have their lower ends bearing against corresponding faces I55 of the lower sleeve I31.

Thus. as the bolts I54 on one side of the axis of the roll I38 are loosened, and those on the other side of said axisare tightened, there will be a corresponding shifting of the lower sleeve I31 and the blade I48 supported thereby. It is thus possible to control the degree of flexing of a blank and the subsequent straightening etand this mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1

' tively. The position of the blade I41 controls the rolls, it is stripped from the roll I36 and is leveled by the blade I48 and is then directed into the body maker magazine I8 adjacent the body maker proper. As the blank passes through the blades I41 and I48 and rolls I35 and I36, it is bent sharply to thereby break its the respective supporting sleeves I31 and I31 feet exerted thereon, by positioning the supporting sleeves I31 and I31 and the blades I41 and I48 carried thereby.

The height of the stack of blanks in the body maker magazine I I8 acts to control related mechanism to govern the feeding of blanks from the flexing device to the. body maker magazine I8,

and 3. As there shown, a flat, substantially rectangular shoe I68, having an upwardly inclined inner end I6I, rests on top of the stack of flexed blanks in the body maker magazine I8, the construction being such as to allow blanks to freely move thereunder in passing from the flexing rolls into position in the body maker magazine I8. The shoe I68 is pivotally mounted atI62 on a rock arm I63, which in turn is keyed to a rotatably mounted shaft I64 journalled in end brackets I64 mounted at opposite ends of the top cross member I48. A second rock arm I65 is secured to the end of the shaft I64 and may be locked thereto to move as an integral part of the said shaft by means of a set screw I61.

A mechanically operated electric limit switch I18 is mounted beneath the free end of the rock arm I65 and is provided with an operating plunger I18 adapted to be engaged by the lower end of an adjustable bolt I68 mounted in the free .end of the rock arm I65 when the shoe I68 has been raised to a predetermined height by the presence of suflicient blanks in the body maker magazine I8.

-When the limit switch I18 is closed, it operates a solenoid I12 (Fig. 2) connected with a source of electric power I14, to shift a valve I15 interposed in the pipe 82. The valve I15 is normally retained in open position by a suitable spring (not shown) to provide an open conduit from the fitting .14, through pipe 92, to the valve casing 85. This solenoid I12 closes the valve I15 against the spring when the limit switch I18 is no load will be, placed on the piston I3 as it is reciprocated within the cylinder 10.

to allow the shoe ISO to drop far enough to release the limit switch I10, the solenoid I12 is no longer energized by the current from the source I'll. At this time, the valve I" is shifted by the aforesaid spring to return said valve to its initial open position, to close the port I 15' to atmosphere and to again directly connect the piping 92 with the cylinder 10. In this position, the suckers 40 no longer idly reciprocate but again act on each stroke of column 48 to feed thelowermost blank from the flexing magazine to a position where said blank is engaged by the fingers Ill and abutments H1 and is fed to the flexing rolls I35 and I36. The flexing rolls, due to their grip on the blank and the speed of rotation of said rolls discharge the blank at a rate high enough to carry it into the body maker magazine In.

It will be apparent that during operation blanks are removed from the flexing magazine faster than they are removed from the body maker magazine, thus insuring that an excess will be built up in the latter sufficient to periodically cut oil the action of the suckers 48.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for forming containers from flat sheets, a frame, a magazine carried thereby from which blanks may be removed at the bottom, a flexing device mounted adacent said magazine to receive blanks discharged therefrom, suckers reciprocably mounted in said frame beneath said magazine, a suction pump carried by said frame and operatively connected to said suckers, a valve in said connection adapted to open to atmosphere temporarily to terminate the pump suction action, a solenoid to actuate said valve, means to reciprocate said suckers to engage the lowermost sheet in said magazine and remove the same therefrom, a slide adapted to engage said removed blank and feed the same into said flexing rolls, a second magazine, power means to drive said flexing rolls at a speed sulficient to discharge blanks therefrom with sufficient momentum to carry them into said second magazine, and means responsive to the height of blanks in said second magazine to actuate said solenoid to open said valve and connect said pump to atmosphere upon the attaining of a predetermined blank level in said second magazine.

2. In a machine for forming containers from o-f blanks from said first magazine when the stack therefrom, a slide adapted to engage said 'removed blank and feed the same into said flexing ro11s,-a second magazine, power means to drive said flexing rolls at a speed suilicient to discharge them therefrom with suflicient momentum to carry them into said second magazine, I a movable shoe engaging the blank in said second magazine to actuate said solenoid to open said valve and connect said pump to atmosphere upon the attaining of a predetermined blank level in said second magazine.

3. In apparatus of the class described adapted to form fiat blanks into container bodies, a first magazine adapted to receive and contain a stack of blanks, a second magazine spaced from said first magazine and adapted to receive and contain a stack of blanks, flexing means interposed between said magazines to break the grain of a blank, means for feeding blanks from said first magazine through said flexing means and into said second magazine, means for feeding blanks from said second magazine at a speed lower than that at which the blanks are fed from the first magazine, and means to render ineffective the feeding means for the first magazine when the stack of blanks in said second magazine reaches a predetermined level.

4. In apparatus of the class described adapted to form flat blanks into container bodies, a first magazine adapted to receive and contain a stack of blanks, a second magazine spaced from said first magazine and adapted to receive and contain a stack of blanks, flexing means interposed between said magazines to break the grain of a blank, means for feeding blanks from said first magazine through said flexing means and into said second magazine, means for feeding blanks from said second magazine at a speed lower than that at which the blanks are fed from the first magazine, means adapted to interrupt the feeding of blanks from said first magazine through said flexing means and into said second magazine, and means controlled by the level of the stack of blanks in said second magazine for actuating said means for interrupting the feeding of blanks in said second magazine reaches a pre determined level.

5. In apparatus of the class described adapted to form flat blanks into container bodies, a first magazineadapted to receive and contain a stack of blanks; a second magazine spaced from said first magazine and adapted to receive and contain a'stack of blanks; flexing means interposed between said magazines to break the grain of a blank; means for feeding blanks from the first 1 magazine through said flexing means and into flat sheets, a frame, amagazine carried thereby y from which blanks may be removed at the bottom, a flexing roll mounted a predetermined distance from said first roll, a second flexing roll resiliently urged against said first roll, suckers reciprocably mounted in said frame beneath said magazine, a pump carried by "said frame and operatively connected to said suckers, a valve in said connection adapted to open to atmosphere temporarily to terminate the pump suction action, a solenoid to actuate said valve, means to reciprocate said suckers to engage the lowermost sheet in said magazine and remove the same said second magazine; means for feeding blanks from said second magazine; the feeding means for the first magazine operating at a greater rate of speed than the feeding means for the second magazine whereby continued operation of the feeding means for the first magazine would result in an excess of blanks in the stack of blanks in said second magazine; and means to render ineffective the feeding means for the first magazine when the stack of blanks in said second magazine reaches a predetermined level.

6. In a can body making machine, a first magazine for a stack of blanks from which the blanks may be withdrawn downwardly, suckers beneath said magazine movable into engagement with the lowermost blank in said magazine, means to create a suction in said suckers suflicient to hold the lowermost blank thereon for removal from to lower said suckers,

the magazine as said suckers are lowered, means apair of flexing rolls adjacent said first magazine, a slide to engage the blank removed from said magazine by said suckers and to feed the same into said flexing rolls, a. second magazine adjacent said flexing rolls to receive the flexed blanks from said rolls, a movable shoe engaging the top of the stack of blanks in said second magazine, and means responsive to the position of said shoe to control the feeding of blanks from said first'magazine to said flexing rolls.

7. In a can body making machine, a first magazine for a stack of blanks from which the blanks may be withdrawn downwardly, suckers beneath said magazine movable into engagement with the lowermost blank in said magazine, means to cre- 5 ate a suction 'in said suckers suflicient to hold the lowermost blank thereon for removal from the magazine as said suckers are lowered, means to lower said suckers, a pair of flexing rolls adjacent said first magazine, a slide to engage the blank removed from said magazine by said suckers and to feed the same into said flexing rolls, a second magazine adjacent said flexing rolls to receive the flexed blanks from said rolls, a movable shoe engaging the top of the stack of blanks in said second magazine, and means responsive to the position of the shoe to control the suction in said suckers and to thereby govern the feeding of blanks from said first magazine to said flexing rolls.

FRANK KRUEGER. 

